{"id":1579,"date":"2026-05-22T02:19:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ktripmate.com\/?p=1579"},"modified":"2026-05-29T18:22:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T09:22:39","slug":"malic-coffee-hongdae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ktripmate.com\/ja\/malic-coffee-hongdae\/","title":{"rendered":"Cozy Hidden Caf\u00e9 in Hongdae, Seoul | Malic Coffee"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Caf\u00e9 I Ended Up Loving More Than Expected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I randomly stopped by this caf\u00e9 while walking through a quiet alley near Wausan-ro in Hongdae, and honestly, it turned out to be much better than I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malic Coffee has been serving specialty coffee since 2016, which means it\u2019s been around for almost 10 years now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, it\u2019s not easy for an independent caf\u00e9 to survive that long in Hongdae, especially with how quickly trendy places come and go. After visiting, I could kind of understand why people keep coming back here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to the busy and chaotic main streets of Hongdae, this place feels much calmer and cozier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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European Alleyway Vibes & Warm Vintage Interior<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The exterior immediately caught my attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The red brick walls, wooden frames, and striped awning gave it the feeling of a small caf\u00e9 you might find somewhere in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The warm lighting visible through the large windows also makes the place feel inviting even before you walk in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caf\u00e9 itself is fairly small and cozy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the wooden furniture and vintage decorations, the whole place had a warm and slightly classic atmosphere rather than the loud \u201chipster caf\u00e9\u201d vibe you often find in Hongdae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I really liked that heavier vintage mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the bar area is open, you can also watch the baristas making coffee right in front of you, which coffee lovers would probably enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Caf\u00e9 That Clearly Takes Coffee Seriously<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can tell they take coffee seriously just by looking at the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They offer a pretty wide range of hand-drip beans, including Geisha varieties, which was impressive for a small independent caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coffee style here leans more toward smooth and rounded flavors rather than aggressively acidic profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their signature drinks include the Nutty Cream Latte and Malic Iced Tea, and even for regular espresso drinks, you can choose between different blend styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were also plenty of desserts to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cherry pie, apple pie, cheesecake, scones, canel\u00e9s, financiers\u2026 honestly, it took me a while to decide lol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My First Time Trying Cherry Pie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I personally prefer apple pie, but I had actually never tried cherry pie before, so this was my first time giving it a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was a little unsure at first, but it turned out to be surprisingly good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pie was filled generously with cherry filling, and it wasn\u2019t overwhelmingly sweet. The slight tartness balanced everything out nicely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cherry pie comes with vanilla ice cream by default, and the combination of warm pie and cold ice cream worked really well together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pairing it with an iced Americano made the sweetness feel much cleaner and more balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still think I\u2019ll try the apple pie next time, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More of a Social Caf\u00e9 Than a Quiet Workspace<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The caf\u00e9 was much busier than I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I visited, it was almost full, and there were even people waiting outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of that, the overall vibe felt much more suited for couples, friends, or coworkers hanging out together rather than people quietly spending time alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, I barely saw anyone visiting solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the place gets crowded and often has a waiting line, I honestly don\u2019t think it\u2019s the best caf\u00e9 for quietly reading, studying, or working alone for hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re looking for a cozy place to enjoy good coffee and desserts while chatting with someone, this caf\u00e9 is definitely worth visiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Get There<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re planning to visit, I\u2019ll leave the Google Maps location below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s tucked away in a quieter alley near Hongdae, so checking the map beforehand will probably make it easier to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n